It makes sense that Beal wants a max. He’s a budding star with a smooth three-point stroke who complements point guard John Wall very well. Beal has shown an ability to step up in the postseason, as he put up a 23/6/5 line last postseason and also impressed in his playoff debut two seasons ago.

But Beal certainly isn’t without his warts, as he takes too many mid-range jumpers and already has a rather lengthy history of injury concerns. That’s part of the reason why Washington is hesitant to shell out a max contract right now.

Jake Whitacre over at Bullets Forever gives another reason why the Wizards shouldn’t give out a max right now, explaining that waiting to offer the max is beneficial when it comes to free agency next summer. If Beal signs a max extension this summer, he’d be on the books for over $20 million next summer. If Washington waits, his cap hold is around $14 million, giving them some extra flexibility in a potential Kevin Durant chase.

Beal will likely get a max contract one way or another barring a catastrophic injury next season, so there’s little reason for him to take less than that now, unless he’s so concerned about his injury history that he wants the security. Meanwhile, the Wizards have little incentive to put the max on the table now, as they can just keep the flexibility and then give him a max next summer or match a max offer sheet.

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